Wed, 20 Aug 2014 The government and top UK employers have launched an initiative to increase apprenticeships for young people.

As part of the campaign called ‘Get In, Go Far’, launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills today, 40 new employer-designed apprenticeships have been introduced in a number of sectors.

The new apprenticeships that have been launched are from a broad range of industries and include roles such as a land-based service engineer, senior culinary chef, solicitor, journalist and a dental practice manager. 

IBM, ITV, Boots and Asos are among the employers participating in the campaign so far.

Get In, Go Far coincides with the publication of 40 new sector-specific apprenticeship standards, published by collaborating employers or so called ‘Trailblazers’. These standards, expected to apply in the delivery of apprenticeships 2014/15, will become the blueprint for other employers. From 2017 to 2018 all new apprenticeship starts will be on standards designed by employers.

While visiting the ITV studios in Leeds to meet apprentices working on the set of Emmerdale, business secretary Vince Cable said “placing university degrees and apprenticeships on an equal footing will help to break down barriers and better meet the needs of business”. 

He added: “The reforms to apprenticeships enable employers to design and deliver apprenticeships that meet their needs, giving young people valuable qualifications and helping them to build successful careers from television production to advanced manufacturing.”

In a statement, Chris Jones, chief executive of City & Guilds, welcomed the launch of the campaign ahead of tomorrow’s GCSE results but is “concerned about whether employers, regardless of size, will have the time – or the money – to take on apprentices”.

Young people on Santander’s apprenticeship programme, run independently from the Get In, Go Far campaign, can obtain nationally recognised qualifications. Marcus Lee, head of resourcing at Santander, told Recruiter: “Nurturing young people is key for our future as a business but also for the UK’s economic growth. 

"An important part of this is helping young people make informed decisions about their education and training, and we believe that apprenticeships are a fantastic way of doing this and so are really supportive of the employer-designed apprenticeships announced by the government today.”